Rotatable and detachable electrical coupling point

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11547280-B2
Application number	US-202016906264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2020
Priority date	Jun 22, 2019
Publication date	Jan 10, 2023
Grant date	Jan 10, 2023

Abstract

A video endoscope that includes a handle with a housing and an interface portion rotatably mounted relative to the housing, and an elongate shaft with one or more electronic image sensors, wherein a proximal end section of the shaft is detachably connected to the interface portion of the handle, where the interface portion includes a first connector element electrically connected to an electric transmission element of the interface portion and the shaft includes a second connector element electrically connected to the one or more electronic image sensors, the first and second connector elements co-operating to form a detachable electrical connection, and where the handle includes an electrical connection assembly arranged at an exterior of the interface portion forming an electrical connection to at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle in a multiplicity of rotational positions of the interface portion relative to the housing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A video endoscope, for use in medical and/or industrial applications, comprising a handle with a housing and an interface portion rotatably mounted relative to the housing, and an elongate shaft with one or more electronic image sensors, wherein a proximal end section of the shaft is detachably connected to the interface portion of the handle, wherein the interface portion comprises a first connector element electrically connected to an electric transmission element of the interface portion and the shaft comprises a second connector element electrically connected to the one or more electronic image sensors, the first and second connector elements co-operating to form a detachable electrical connection, wherein the handle comprises an electrical connection between an exterior of the interface portion and at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle in a multiplicity of rotational positions of the interface portion relative to the housing, and wherein the electrical connection between the exterior of the interface portion and the at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle is arranged at a periphery of the interface portion and comprises at least one flexible conductor element configured to be spooled on and/or unspooled from the periphery of the interface portion by rotating the interface portion relative to the housing.

2. The video endoscope of claim 1 wherein the electrical connection between the exterior of the interface portion and the at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle further comprises at least one sliding contact.

3. The video endoscope of claim 1 wherein the flexible conductor element is or comprises a flexible cable, a flexible ribbon cable and/or a flexible circuit board.

4. The video endoscope of claim 3 wherein the housing comprises a reservoir for receiving at least an unspooled portion of the flexible conductor element.

5. The video endoscope of claim 4 wherein the unspooled portion of the flexible conductor element is guided by at least one roll, wherein the roll preferably is movably arranged within the reservoir and most preferably is spring loaded in a direction for tensioning the flexible conductor element.

6. The video endoscope according to claim 5 wherein at least a section of the unspooled portion of the flexible conductor element is laid in an arc-like shape in the reservoir and/or is loosely arranged within the reservoir.

7. The video endoscope of claim 6 wherein the handle comprises at least two bearings for rotatably supporting the interface portion wherein the electrical connection between the exterior of the interface portion and the at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle is arranged at an intermediate section of the periphery of the interface portion, the intermediate section being located between the at least two bearings.

8. The video endoscope of claim 7 wherein a range of rotation of the interface portion relative to the housing is limited by a stop.

9. The video endoscope of claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a reservoir for receiving at least an unspooled portion of the flexible conductor element.

10. The video endoscope of claim 1 wherein the handle comprises at least one sensor for detecting a rotation angle and/or a rotational position of the interface portion relative to the housing.

11. The video endoscope of claim 10 wherein the second connector element comprises a plurality of conductor pins and the first connector element comprises a plurality of sockets configured to receive the conductor pins.

12. The video endoscope of claim 1 wherein the shaft is hermetically sealed and/or autoclavable.

13. The video endoscope of claim 1 wherein the shaft comprises an electric illumination source supplied with electric energy via the interface portion.

14. The video endoscope of claim 13 wherein the one or more electronic image sensors is or are arranged in a distal end section of the shaft, or the one or more image sensors is or are arranged in the proximal end section of the shaft and an optical image transmission system extends through the shaft to transfer image light to the one or more image sensors.

15. A handle for a video endoscope for use in medical and/or industrial applications, comprising a housing and an interface portion rotatably mounted relative to the housing, wherein the interface portion comprises a first connector element connected to an electric transmission element of the interface portion and connectable to a second connector element of a shaft of the video endoscope, to form a detachable electrical connection, and wherein the handle comprises an electrical connection between an exterior of the interface portion and at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle in a multiplicity of rotational positions of the interface portion relative to the housing, and wherein the electrical connection between the exterior of the interface portion and the at least one stationary electric and/or electronic component of the handle comprises at least one flexible conductor element configured to be spooled on and/or unspooled from a periphery of the interface portion by rotating the interface portion relative to the housing.

16. The handle of claim 15 wherein the flexible conductor element is or comprises a flexible cable, a flexible ribbon cable and/or a flexible circuit board.

17. The handle of claim 16 wherein the housing comprises a reservoir for receiving at least an unspooled portion of the flexible conductor element.

Assignees

• Storz Karl Se & Co Kg

Inventors

• Ulmschneider Daniel
• Heni Andreas
• Kupferschmid Markus
• Natusch Lawrence

Classifications

• A61B1/00124 Primary

  electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection · CPC title

• H04N23/555

  for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes · CPC title

• A61B1/05

  characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion · CPC title

• A61B1/00128

  mechanical, e.g. for tubes or pipes · CPC title

• H04N23/54

  Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils · CPC title